<p>The article confuses me.
The first sentence says:
[quote]
Approximately one in five students at an Ivy League college misuses a prescription stimulant to get ahead academically
[/quote]
</p>
<p>The body says:
[quote]
Sixty-nine percent of respondents used stimulants to write an essay, 66 percent to study for an exam, and 27 percent to take a test.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>That sounds like a lot more than 20%</p>
<p>I think they mean 69% (etc.) of the one in five who responded that they used stimulants. </p>
<p>^^ That is what I first thought, but they wrote “percent of respondents” not “percent of drug users” . Odd for this type of reporting.</p>
<p>This article is very poorly written, so it’s no wonder it’s confusing.
Only one ivy league school was surveyed, and from that they claim that prescription drug use is higher “at the ivies?” It isn’t a shock that a more competitive environment might result in higher stimulant use, but surveying one college doesn’t really say much about “the ivies.” Also, 25 % of the users only used once, which doesn’t really mean, at least in my opinion, that they “use drugs.” Furthermore, only 24% of the 20% who use, used stimulants on a regular basis, or “eight or more times.”<br>
I hate these sloppy, sensationalistic articles. </p>
<p>I agree that it is poorly written and unfortunately there is no link to the actual study</p>
<p>I disagree that the numbers given are if a smaller percentage (eg 24 percent of the 20 percent of uses). I think the 20 percent is the number of frequent users.</p>
<p>I am looking for the original study to verify </p>
<p>But did it actually help them or do they only * think * it did?
<a href=“Adderall May Not Make You Smarter, But It Makes You Think You Are | TIME.com”>http://healthland.time.com/2010/12/21/adderall-may-not-make-you-smarter-but-it-makes-you-think-you-are/</a></p>
<p>According to what hear from the kiddos this is not at all uncommon. I could share detailed stories but I won’t. Suffice it to say, it’s not unusual or a secret.</p>
<p>Adderall is definitely a big problem on Ivy league campuses as well as a host of other unhealthy and even toxic study and life habits. My close friends and I have never used of wanted to use it, one of my friends just drinks a ton of coffee (not great but still nothing compared to prescription drug abuse), and I myself just drink coffee and tea and occasionally five hour energy which from what I have heard is just like a strong cup of coffee if taken responsibly (for me that means I would never take one two days in a row).</p>
<p>Some people think taking Adderall could be considered cheating. I don’t think this should be the main concern. I think the real issue is that this is a highly addictive drug which is akin to speed when taken without a prescription. It can really mess you up and will not help you in the long run.</p>
<p>
This is what the site says, now. Apparently the article was prematurely published.</p>
<p>No where in the article did it say that 20% of all students were “frequent” users. The article broke down those who responded that they had used a stimulant into three categories; " used only once, used only four to eight times, and used more than eight times." Each of these categories had percentages somewhere in the 20s. It’s clear to me that they were breaking down the categories from the total number of positive respondents (20%) ; if that weren’t the case, the percentage of those who used a stimulant at the school would be around 75%, adding up each category. That would have made an even better story! </p>
<p>In my experience those who are prescribed meds need them.
I can’t imagine someone with a syndrome or disorder giving away their treatment or medication.
But as amphetamines do not build up in the body, I don’t see how they can be addictive.
If they are addictive, why do people have such trouble taking their meds or even finding the bottle?
<a href=“http://www.additudemag.com/adhd-web/article/2056.html”>http://www.additudemag.com/adhd-web/article/2056.html</a></p>
<p>@emeraldkity4 they don’t give away their medications, they sell them. Trust me, there’s a thriving underground market for people with ADHD to sell their prescription. Though I’ve never taken them, a number of people have offered to sell them to me, or acknowledged that they’d be relying on such drugs to get through finals. </p>
<p>It does seem that more selective privates have a reputation of being havens for Adderall use. One of my friends from another Atlanta area school contacted me about finding someone to buy from because my of my school’s reputation in this area.</p>
<p>Adderall is basically speed if you don’t have ADHD. It’s addictive. A few years ago we had a local elementary school principal who was fired for stealing the kids hyper-activity drugs. He was addicted. Plenty of kids get prescribed this stuff needlessly. And, it’s not just Ivies btw. This is a very common finals week coping strategy at many campuses.</p>
<p>Per my link, I doubt that those who don’t have adhd are getting any benefit that drinking coffee wouldn’t give plus they risk being jailed/expelled.
Doesn’t seem very bright.</p>
<p>My friend’s husband is a family physician. He said that demand for Adderall among college- age kids is a thing. They want an insurance-covered prescription and when he says no, they say they’ll just buy it anyway so he might as well prescribe. Parents collude because they want their kids to be competitive at high-end schools.It’s amazing they have the nerve to ask, but I suppose the “anything to get ahead” attitude is very pervasive now. There is a belief that there is no “downside” to these drugs and that they enhance performance to the point where you are at a disadvantage if you are not using them during finals etc.</p>
<p>Drugs like vvyanse should be prescribed by a psychiatrist.
Does her H refer them?</p>
<p>Very sad that parents are willing to put their kids on drugs in hopes of getting a slightly better grade. Why would anyone send their child to a school where they need to take drugs to be “successful”?</p>
<p>Usually the people taking the drugs are those who waited until the last minute to study for finals or write a paper. </p>
<p>
</p>
<p>I don’t know. The point is that there is a demand for the “study drug” and people are seeking it out from medical providers for non-medical reasons; they just want their insurance to pay for it. Obviously my friend’s husband does not encourage or promote this.</p>
<p>Here is a related commentary about non-medical student use of Adderall:
<a href=“Action needed to curb Adderall use among college students – The Minnesota Daily”>Action needed to curb Adderall use among college students – The Minnesota Daily;
<p>Students, truck drivers, night shift workers et al, have been using substances to stay awake for decades
if our society valued non medicated citizens, we wouldn’t have energy drinks or candy with caffeine.
Not that I think it is great that students are dosing themselves, but not a newsflash.</p>
<p>@mathyone, you don’t need drugs to be successful at these schools. If you are responsible, budget your time, and don’t overload yourself you won’t have to resort to extreme measures like prescription drugs. The problem is that a lot of the times students feel pressure to overload themselves. They may also have trouble doing things efficiently since the adjustment between college and high school may be harder on some.</p>
<p>At my school, there is a ton of pressure to double or triple major, get a master’s, or even two degrees and sometimes a master’s in four years. There is also a lot of pressure from preprofessional aspects as well as people overloading themselves with extracurriculars. It’s incredibly unhealthy. If you want to avoid being like that you need to know yourself and how you work best. For me that means taking four classes (albeit very difficult classes) and doing research mainly. Do I feel insecure about not taking six classes and being involved in more sometimes? Yes I do, but I know that what I am doing is right for me and honestly once I figured that out things just fell into place and I have been incredibly successful ever since.</p>